Finding into death of Christopher James Wrigglesworth
Deceased
Christopher James Wrigglesworth
Demographics
59y, male
Date of death
2020-08-27
Finding date
2023-07-13
Cause of death
Multiple injuries sustained from a tree falling on a motor vehicle (driver)
AI-generated summary
Christopher Wrigglesworth, aged 59, died when a tree fell on his vehicle during severe weather. Emergency services responded promptly, but he was trapped for approximately 100 minutes before extrication. Despite resuscitative efforts, he died at the scene from multiple traumatic injuries. The coroner found this was a tragic accident caused by tree failure in significant winds. While the council had appropriate tree inspection processes in place and the tree showed no concerning features at the last inspection, the coroner recommended that councils obtain independent arborist reports when tree failure results in death, as such investigations may reveal issues not apparent on visual assessment alone and identify preventable factors for future prevention.
AI-generated summary and tagging — may contain inaccuracies; refer to original finding for legal purposes.
Drugs involved
Clinical conditions
Contributing factors
- Severe weather conditions with significant winds
- Tree failure - Eucalyptus cypellocarpa
- Prolonged extrication time (approximately 100 minutes)
- Limited pre-hospital assessment due to degree of entrapment
Coroner's recommendations
- That Yarra Ranges Shire Council consider incorporating a requirement into the Tree Assessment Framework of the Tree Policy to obtain an independent arborist report in cases where tree failure results in death
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